Full fashioned stocking and method of producing same



Oct. 20, 1931. H, w HQFFMANN 1,828,533-

FULL FASHIONED STOCKING AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed Aug. 28, 19:51 4 sheets-Sheet 1 I @7209 77/550 2 Hen/r12 Oct. 20, 1931. H. w. HOFFMANN 1,323,533

FULL FASHIONED STOCKING AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Fi1ed Aug. 28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Invenior: IIenz y WIIoJfmaW/n.

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H. W. HOFFMANN Oct. 20, 1931.

' FULL FASHIONED STOCKING AND METHOD- OF PRODUCING SAME Filed Aug. 28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 Sheets- Sheet 4 Invenio r 21 WHcgffmazm $77M cflfigs.

v Hen y H. W. HOFFMANN Filed Aug. 28, 1951 FULL FASHIONED STOCKING AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME HHHHNIIIIHIIM "I' U 11 3 wm 8 a 4 F 8 \1\; 4\

Oct. 20, 1931.-

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rarest HENRY W. HOFFMANN, 01E WEISSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOE T AJAX HOSIERY BULLS, 01E PEOENIXVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA FULL FASHIONED STOCKING AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SMKE Application filed August 28, 1931. Serial No. 559,861.

This application is, as to all common subject matter, a continuation and, to that extent, a retiling of my co )ending application Ser. No. 390,276, filed eptember 4, 1929.

This invention relates to full-fashioned hosiery and to the method of making the same, and particularly relates to full-fashioned h0- siery having a top or commencement welt which welt, at least at its upper end portion in its outer wall, is formed with an encircling lace band of substantial extent lengthwise the stocking and consisting of laterally transferred loops, whereby not only is an attractive lace formation provided in said outer wall of the welt, but the upper end portion of the welt is thereby rendered more expansible laterally and will therefore not bind or tend to bind, as heretofore, about the leg of the wearer above the knee. Prior to my invention, the extreme upper end of the welt (or very top of the stocking) would tightly bind the leg unless very slender and thus have all the disadvantages of a substantially inelastic garter. The advantages of my invention with respect to the lateral expansibility of the welt also apply,-though to a somewhat less extent, if the encircling lace band be commenced somewhat below the extreme upper edge of the welt, in the outer wall of the welt, and the same is within the scope of my invention, since, so far as l am aware, I am the first to render the outer wall of the welt, or any part thereof, substantially laterally expansible. In providing such lateral expansibility, ll may vary to a substantial extent the exact position in the outer wall of the welt, of the lace band or area or areas.

The stocking Suspender, when employed, should be engaged with the welt. which is usually made of stronger or heavier thread than the part of the stocking just below the welt, and therefore I prefer not to have the lace portion coextensive with the length of the outer wall of the welt. In many cases I also provide an encircling lace band of laterally transferred loops, said band being of substantial vertical extent, just below the bottom of the said top welt, as thereby ll provide in effect a marker or gauge or indication (consisting of the said two bands of lace work) between which the wearer may quickly and surely secure the stocking supporter without, as has frequently heretofore happened, accidentally securing the supporter below the welt or artly to the welt and partly just below t e same, and therefore usually resulting in runs.

llt is to be understood that the said lacecffect band or bands made in accordance with my invention, are made wholly above the narrowing or fashioning marks of the stocking, which marks, as is well understood in the art, are made by the lateral transfer of loops near the selvage edges at intervals in the calf and ankle. ll am aware that lace effects of limited extent have long been made in the leg of the'stocking substantially below the welt and at points well removed laterally from said fashioning marks, as disclosed in the patent to Gee, No. 703,055, but said patentee was compelled to use a lace point bar of small length so as not to have it interfere with the transfer or fashioning points, and could not accomplish my invention.

I am aware of the patent to Costello, No. 976,555, which, in Figs. 1 and 2, shows various possible positions of the run-stop course constituting the subject-matter of that patent, and which patent shows as one such possible position the run-stop course in the outer wall of the welt, but not at the top of the welt where obviously no run-stop is needed. My invention is not provided for the purpose of a run-stop, and the said patcut to Costello does not provide a lace effect, nor provide a laterally expansible upper end of the welt, which is an important feature of my invention.

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ll am aware of the patent to Dakin, No. 1,651,677, which discloses at a position two courses above the bottom of the welt a course having open spaces a through which the color of the old strip 3 may be observed. Such construction, however, is not provided for and does not afford a lace effect nor does the same disclose the other features of my invention.

I do not by this application cover the means or mechanism by which the described lace effeet is produced, but I state that to produce the herein disclosed lace effect, T preferably utilize the picot bar (which prior to my invention always, so far as I am aware, has been provided with one transfer point for every other needle of the machine) and remove certain of the usual points therefrom, as, for example, I may retain only one point for each four needles throughout the entire width of the fabric. Tn this manner and by employing such picot bar of the full width of the fabric, in a substantial plurality or series of adjacent courses, so as to make a band of substantial vertical extent. and if desired shifting said picot bar slightly to the right or to the left during the making of said band, I may make the described lace effect at comparatively low cost.

Desirably, but not necessarily, T provide for a color change at or closely adjacent to the lace effect, for sample, as originally disclosed and originally claimed in my said original application of which this is a continuation and a refiling in part, and While my invention is in no respect limited thereto, ll have shown in certain figures of the drawings and shall describe in the specification just such color arrangement as originally disclosed in said application.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, T have disclosed certain embodiments of the fabric of the invention and one means for making the same in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a full-fashioned stocking disclosing the preferred embodiment of the article of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper part of the stocking shown in Fig. 1 but not sutficiently enlarged to show the actual loop or stitch structure;

Fig 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of the structure shown at the top of Fig. 1 and sufficiently enlarged to show with substantial accuracy the stitches or loops in certain courses;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 but representing a modification of that structure;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a full-fashioned stocking embodying the article of my inven tion;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail representing taaaeaa with substantial accuracy the stitches in certain courses;

Fig. 7 is a detail representing the extreme upper edge of the stocking opened out to show the structure of the so-called picot edge;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation representing the needle bar and needles and the picot bar and picot points employed in the production of the stocking of my invention; and

Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the construe tion shown in Fig. 8.

The stocking of my invention is knitted upon a full-fashioned machine having the usual spring beard needles, such as indicated at '1 in Figs. 8 and 9. The needles are fixedly carried by the usual needle bar 2 having the usual movements. In suitable relation to the needle bar and its needles is provided a picot bar 3 having picot points 4 which may be, if desired, one for each needle, or any other number, as, for example, one for each four needles. Prior to my invention, so far as I am aware, the picot bar was always pro vided with one point for each two needles and never prior to my invention was employed to produce a lace effect. The machine upon which T produce the fabric of my invention is provided with the usual thread feeding means or carriers, including means whereby a body thread may be fed and preferably is provided also with at least one thread of another color or character. The machine is also provided with means whereby a welt may be formed at the upper edge thereof and where by said welt may be closed in the customary manner. i

In Fig. 1,1 have represented at 5 a preferred embodiment of the stockings of my invention, and T will describe the best mode known to me for making the same.

The knitting of the stocking is preferably begun at one end of the welt, so that there is first knitted the inner wall of the welt, that knit-ting is continued until a point is reached where the welt is to be folded to make the extreme upper edge of the stocking in its pressed or boarded condition. At that point, which is indicated at 6 in Fig. 1 and also at the corresponding point in Figs. 2, 3 and a, 1 preferably form what is known as a picot edge. In making such picot edge, certain loops are laterally transferred one or more needles by the use of the picot bar 3 of Figs. 8 and 9. An exceedingly important purpose of my invention is to provide a laterally expansible zone, area or band, desirably and for the best effect (but no necessarily) beginning at the extreme upper end of the welt at the outer Wall thereof, which welt will yield sufiiciently when the stocking is being drawn into position so that it will not b nd upon the leg of the wearer when in position above the knee and give discomfort. At

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the same time the said band, zone or area, con sisting as it does of laterally transferred loops, made .by manipulation of the picot bar, constitutes a lace effect which adds greatly to the attractiveness of the stocking. llt is important to have the upper end of the said outer wall of the welt thus laterally expansible at its extreme upper end (though, as stated, my invention is not limited to such exact position or only to such position), and this T may accomplish as shown in Fig. 1 wherein immediately following the picot edge 6 there is one plain course '7 and then a series or substantial number of courses having laterally transferred loops at recurrent short intervals entirely around the welt. as, for example, in nine courses as indicated at 8 in Fig. 1. Thereafter the remainder of the welt, which is indicated at 9 in Fig. 1, is knitted, partly at least, in the usual manner in order that sufficient solid plain knit material may be provided to which the stocking supporter may be attached.

It will be understood that the commencing edge of the inner wall of the welt is integrally joined with the lower end of the outer wall of the welt of the stocking by a. course of loops. The lace effect may, of course, be varied within the spirit and purpose of my invention and the lateral transferred loops may be either to the left or to the right and to the extent desired. l have obtained very desirable edects by laterally transferring every fourth stitch in a course laterally to wales in the same direction, the intermediate stitches in said course not being transferred, and then repeating such course structure or variations therefrom in a number of adjacent courses, as, for example, eight or ten. This has been found to be sufiicient to provide the laterally elastic or readily stretchable zone, band or area at the upper end of the welt.

At the point where the two walls of the at 10 in Fig. 1) T preferably knit a small plurality of plain courses as indicated at 11, and then T preferably, as indicated at 12, knit another area entirely about the stocking and which may be the same in formation as that indicated at 8 or difi'erent therefrom. The said two areas, namely, 8 and 12, provide or constitute a gauge or marker to indicate that between them is the normally knit portion of the welt to which the stocking supporter may be fastened without risk of creating a run. This also constitutes an important feature of the invention.

It will be observed, viewing Fig. 1, that the narrowing marks 13, 14 are all below the lace effect already described as constituting my invention.

lln Fig. 2, T have represented the upper portion of the structure in Fig. 1, but upon a sufficiently larger scale to show as small circles was the laterally transferred loops. in Fig 3 upon a still larger scale, T have represented the fabric and have there indicated the exact structure of the laterally transferred loops at 15.

In Fig. l, l have illustrated a modification of what is shown in Fig. 1 in that while I have shown the picot edge at 6 and one plain course at 16, T have then represented the introduction of another yarn at 17, said other yarn being contrasting in color and knitplain. The said contrastingly colored yarn is kept in for desirably a plurality of'courses, such, for example, as two, so as to impart a distinctive appearance to the stocking. I then desirably knit two plain courses as indicated at 18, following which ll knit the lace hand, area or zone, as indicated at 19. Said portion 19 may be the same as represented at 8 in Fig. 1, and is so showmbut may be different therefrom. Upon the completion of the lace portion of whatever character and which also has substantially the same characteristic of lateral expansibility as the band or zone 8 of Fig. 1, ll then desirably knit two plain courses as indicated at 20, and then substitute a yarn or thread of contrasting color as indicated at 21 and knit a plurality of courses therewith, as, for example, two. I then desirably knit'the remainder of the welt plain of the original yarn or thread, as indicated at 22.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7, T have represented another embodiment of the stocking of my invention, and T will describe the best mode known to me for making the same.

The knitting of the stocking is preferably begun at one end of the welt. so that there is first knitted the inner wall of the welt. That knitting is continued until the point is reached where the welt is to be folded to make the extreme upper edge of the stocking in it's pressed or boarded condition. At that point which is indicated at 23 in Figs. 5 and 6, ll form what is known as a picot edge which is more particularly shown at 24 in Fig. 7. In making said picot edge, certain loops are laterally transferred one or more needles by the use of the picot bar 3 of Figs. 8 and 9. After that picot edge is completed the knitting of the stocking is continued for a plurality of courses of plain knitting, indicated at 25 in Fig. 6. Said courses are desirably non-contrasting in color or otherwise with the body of the stocking, and are therefore knitted with the main body thread. At the completion of the knitting of said courses 25, the said body thread is withdrawn and another thread, being one of contrasting character, is substituted therefor, being desirably a thread of a markedly contrasting color. Said substituted thread is knitted for a substantial number of courses as indicated at 26 in Fig. 6, where six such courses are knitted. Thereupon said substituted thread is withif. i

picot points shown in Figs. 3 and 9. De-

sirably each loop that is laterally transferred during the making of the courses 9:? is later ally transferred to the extent of two needle ules, as indicated. by the dotted line 29 in Fig.

[is soon as the laterally transferred loops EN are completed. or as soon as the nest course completed, or after repeating such lateral. transferring operation in another course (not herein shown), I then desirably withdraw the said. main body thread and reinkiOtlllCe the contrasting thread with. which the courses 916 were knitted and thereupon knit the series of courses 30 of any suitable number, such number bein herein shown as six. finch courses are preferably all of plain knitting and the loops 31 are of the size shown in Fig. 6 because necessitated. by the forn1ation of the laterally transferred loops 28.. After the desired number of courses 30 of the contrasting thread have been knitted, .l again introduce the main body thread indicated. at 32, and I continue the stocking therewith so as desirably to knit the remainder of the stocking including the welt therewith.

it is to be understood that it is not necessary in the practice of my invention that the contrasting thread for the courses 26 be the same contrasting thread for the courses 30, but I do preferably have the courses 26 and 30 knittcd of the same color as, for example, green, so that the courses 2'? embodying and containing the laterally transferred loops stand out in bold relief. Desirably the latorally transferred loops are at regular intervals which-are preferably short, and desirably said recurrent laterally transferred loops exist or occur at short intervals entirely around the stocking. The substituted thread by which the courses 26 and are knitted is a color-resist-dye thread.

Desirably but not necessarily the picot bar, which is attached to the narrowing mechanism of the machine, has picot points so placedthat there is one picot point for every four needles. Desirably also a loose course is made at each of several points, as, for example, the following:

After the six or other number of courses knitted from the resist-dye thread are completed, the carrier holding the regular thread is again set to-make a course, and such course is desirably a loose course. I have not attempted in the drawing accurately to show any looscness in such course whicl'i would be the first course of the group of courses 2?, soon as said loose course been. formed, the narrowing mechanism is set to with the picot bars in place. in such dipping inotion, the points in the picot bar piclr oil the stitch from every fourth needle and p lace each. such stitch. on the second needle from where it was taken off, as indicated in Figs. 6 and Desirahly also another loose course is again made with the regular thread in the manner already indicated, the narrowing mechanism with its picot bar and points again piclnng ed the stitch from every fourth needle and placing it on the second needle from which the stitch was talren off. This constitutes a repetition of the stitches indicated 28 in 6. in such case the laterally transferred loops will occur in two preferably immediately sue cessive courses in the group of courses 2?, which in such case may be more than two complete courses. E

It is to be understood that the narrowing mechanism itself does not function to nan row or fashion the fabric during the making of the described lace effects, since the narrowing marks are all. below the lace effects of my invention.

The efi ect of the lateral transfer of the loops in the band 2'4", in t e embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figs. 5, (i and 7, is to produce a puclrer at closely recurrent intervals, so that shell-lilre effect is produced extending entirely around the stocking and upstanding from the surface thereof. My invention is not limited to the pro duction of such effect.

it is not essential to my invention that the remainder of the stocking be knitted upon the same machine as the described. welt, as after the knitting of the welt the some may be transferred to another machine.

if am. aware of the publication entitled Technology of framework knitting by lWillkonim (1878) and that the same shows in certain figures laterally transferred loops, but nowhere does that publication disclose the knitting of a stocking welt having a lace effect therein, nor does it disclose a stocking welt that is rendered laterally expansible by the use of laterally transferred loops or otherwise. I am also aware of the publication entitled Framework knitting and hosiery manufacture, by Quilter & Chamberlain, published by Hosiery Trade Journal, Leicester, England, in 1914, and I make the same statement with respect thereto as with respect to the Willkomm publication.

I am also aware of the Reading Full- Fashioned Knitting Machine Parts Catalogue, published by Textile Machine Works, of Reading, Pa, and state that the same was not published until 1929, and is therefore subsequent to my invention. Moreover, I make the same statement with respect to said parts catalogue as I have made with respect to the Willkomr'n publication.

have in accordance with my invention and as herein described provided a fullfashioned stocking having a top welt and a full fashioned leg and foot constituting a continuation thereof, the said top welt having an inner wall and an outer wall, the said outer wall of the welt having a circumferential zone or area thereof of substantial extent lengthwise the stocking consisting of a series of adjacent courses, which together are substantially more expansible laterally than the solid knit portion of the said outer wall of the welt, said circumferential zone or area being rendered thus laterally expansible by reason of having a multiplicity of laterally transferred loops in each such course, together constituting a lace eflect, whereby the said welt is rendered less binding upon the le of the wearer by reason of the said lace e ect.

Having thus described several illustrative embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A full-fashioned stocking having at its upper end a welt both Walls of which are of plain knitting and which in the completed stocking has a picot edge and below the same two closely adjacent bands of plain loops knitted from threads other than the body thread and contrasting therewith, the fabric of the stocking between said bands being composed of a thread non-contrasting wit the body of the stocking but having single laterally transferred loops at closely recurrent intervals about the stocking.

2. A full-fashioned stocking having at its upper end a welt both walls of which are of plain knitting and which welt 1n the completed stocking is provided with a picot edge immediately succeeded by a plurality of courses of plain knitting non-contrasting with the body of the stocking, said courses being immediately succeeded by a band of a plurality of courses of plain knitting made from a thread other than. the body thread, said band being succeeded bv a plurality of courses knitted from the body thread and having at recurrent intervals laterally transferred loops, said plurality of courses made from the body thread bein immediately succeeded by a band compose of a plurallty of courses knitted from a thread other than the body thread, said last mentioned band being succeeded by the body thread from which the remainder of the welt and body of the stocking is knitted.

3. That method of roducing a full-fashioned stocking consisting in commencing the welt with the body thread and knitting therein a so-called picot edge at the point which in the completed stocking is the said upper edge and thereafter during the knitting of the welt substituting a thread contrasting with the body thread, and knitting a relatively small plurality of courses therewith, then withdrawing such substituted thread and knitting a relatively small plurality of courses with the body thread and while knitting said courses laterally transferring loops thereof at intervals about the stocking, then again substituting another thread contrasting with the body thread and knitting a relatively small plurality of courses therewith, and then withdrawing said thread and restoring the body thread and continuing the knitting operation therewith, both walls of the welt being of plain knitting.

4. A stocking having at its upper end a welt both walls of which are of plain knitting and which welt has an upper picot edge and which below the upper edge thereof has a surrounding stripe composed of two bands each knitted from a thread contrasting with the main thread of the welt, and an intermediate band contrasting with the first mentioned bands and having at closely recurrent intervals laterally transferred loops, whereby a gathered or puckered effect is produced in said intermediate band.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a fullfashioned plain fabric stocking having a top welt and a full-fashioned leg and foot constituting a continuation thereof, the said top welt having an inner wall and an outer wall, both of plain knitting the commencing edge of the inner Wall of the Welt being integrally joined with the lower end of the outer wall of the welt and stocking by a course of loops; the said outer Wall of the welt entirely about the welt, beginning at the top part thereof, having every fourth stitch in a selected course laterally transferred to wales in the same direction, the intermediate stitches in said course not being transferred, the said course structure being repeated in a plurality of adjacent courses, thereby to make a lace effect in the outer wall of the welt.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a fullfashioned plain fabric stocking having a top welt and a full-fashioned leg and foot constituting a' continuation thereof, the said top welt having an inner wall and an outer wall, both of plain knitting the commencing edge of the inner wall of the welt being integrally joined with the lower end of the outer wall of the welt and stocking by a course of loops; the said outer wall of the welt entirely about the welt and beginning at the fold or top part of the Welt having at recurrent short inter, vals in the course complete loops which are laterally transferred onto other stitches in the course, the said course structure being repeated in a plurality of adjacent courses,

thereby providing a more readily expansible formation at the fold or top of the welt to relieve binding upon the leg of the wearer.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a fullfashioned plain fabric stocking having a top welt and a full-fashioned leg and foot constituting a continuation thereof, the said top welt having an inner wall and an outer wall, both of plain knitting, the commencing edge of the inner wall of the welt being integrally joined with the lower end of the outer wall of the welt and stocking by a course of loops; the said outer wall of the welt entirely about the same and beginning at the fold or top of the welt having every fourth stitch in a selected course laterally transferred to wales in the same direction, the intermediate stitches in said course not being transferred, the said course structure bein repeated in a plurality of adjacent courses t ereby providing a more readily expansible top of the welt to prevent binding upon the leg of the wearer.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a fullfashioned plain fabric stocking having a top welt and a full-fashioned leg and foot constituting a continuation thereof, the said top welt having an inner wall and an outer wall, both of plain knitting, the said outer wall of the welt at the top thereof having a series of adjacent courses of laterally transferred loops constituting a lace effect and also rendering the said top of the welt more expansible laterally than the adjacent normally knitted portion of the welt, to prevent binding of the top edge of the welt about the leg of the wearer.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a fullfashioned plain fabric stocking having a top welt and a full-fashioned leg and foot constituting a continuation thereof, the said top welt having an inner wall and an outer wall, both of plain knitting, the said outer wall of the welt at the upper portion thereof having an encircling lace-band-like area of laterally transferred loops consisting of a series of adjacent courses and also just below the welt another encircling lace-band-like area of laterally transferred loops, said two band-like areas constituting a gauge or marker to indicate that between them is the normally knit portion of the welt to which the stocking supporter may be fastened without risk of creating a run.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a fullfashioned plain-fabric stocking having a top welt and a full-fashioned leg and foot constituting a continuation thereof, the said top welt having an inner wall and an outer wall, both of plain knitting, the said outer Wall of the welt having a circumferential zone or area thereof of substantial extent lengthwise the stocking consisting of a series of adjacent courses which together are substantiall more expansible laterally than the solid knit por- HENRY WV. HOFFMANN. 

